Spring-wheel.



H. BOARDMAN.

SPRING WHEEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

GL01/Mono 3mm HENRY BOAEDMHN.

H. BOARDMAN.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. no. 1913.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

coLuMulA PLANOQRAPM co..wAsmNn HENRY aQAaDlvseN, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

errang-WHEEL.

p Y Y( Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 14,1913.

Application filed March 27,9, 1913. Serial No. 757,680,

To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, HENRY BoAnDMAN, a citizen lof" Great y"Britain, Vresidingv at Des Moines, in the'county of fPlllandfState'of Iowa, have invented certain and'iigsetul Improvements in lSprin'g-W'heels, of which t-heffollowing is a specification, reference being had tothe aceorn'pkanying drawings? i This inventionco-mpreliends certain new and lusefulimp:roven'ientis in resilient' wheels has for object' to"provikiev a resilient wheel compo-sledloff a YI'n'mbe'r olf tread scnenseaciipibvidea winirspmte sup springs arid. shock ablsrbirg ach tread'se'ction being' forming resilient connections between" 'the tre'adsect-ions. l i' riother object is to provide a resilient wheel whicliwill be ofl extremely lsimple construction, cheap' to manufacture and highly eiiicient and eective in use. iiirtheil objfect is' to ggenerally' improve andv simplify the' construction "of devices of ioliarac'tera and iinorease' the eiiciency and? durability @foetale "With the above andl other objects in View, thisI invention consists in 'the novel features of construction, combination and' arrang'e ments Vof' parts; tov beV lhereinafter' more fully described, claimed iand illustrated l the acompanyingfdrawings, in whichx4Figure' 1l,y is fragmentary elevational viewpartly in section of theprefer're'd'form of my improved resilientwhel. 'Figi 2,'"is a similar View of a similar modifiedfo'rm of my inventionf Fig. l3,'i's' a xfragnentar'y detail view ofthe same, shoyvingtlie manner in which the main springs' are connected. Fig. 4,`is a fragmentary':longitudinal/sec'- tion ofa third forni of invention.t 5, is a detail -vplan View of ofneloffthe main springs removed. Fig. 6, is aview similar to Fig. L1, showing V"a `fourth Zori" futlierA modified form. Fig. 7', is a like viewsh'dwing'a' ifthbr still'further modified form. Fig. 8'isa detailperspectiveview'of onek ofthe 'main lsprings employed inthe5 last rm, orforin" shown 7? Fig'.l 9 isa detail sectionalyi'ewj Referi'inglniorf pecifically, to the drawings" in` which 2"similar 'reference characters designate corresponding'parts fthroughout tlie'several views, 1Ii designates "tlie wheel rim over 'whchare engaged"'afpluralitybt semi-cylindrical members 2 having the pli able tread sections 3 preferably of rubber' or leather secured upony their central` portion, whichisections have their opposite longitudinail *edges engaging the sidesoic the members 2 utwa'rdly of'thelongitudinal edges thereofThemembers 2 are connected by the links 42 up'on their outer faces, which links hav'etheir opposite ends pivoted to the adjacent' inmbers yas shown at2.

` Dependinl from each longitudinal edge of veael inefner'2 is a perforated e'rll which dpeiids'bel'ow' 'the wheel 'rim 1l' The opposite' perforated ear'sl ofeach member 2 are c'onncte'd'by aconnectin'g pin 5 extending transverselybeneaththe rim 1, thereby lim-r iting outward movement of the members 2. "Each member/2 has'a pair of bearing and closure strips 6 secured' to its inner edge at oneiendand adapted for'engage'me'nt withinl the adjacentend ofthe member immediately`al`1ea'd:,'therear end o'f'the last mentioned member "resting uponsaid strips.

' `Each`rnenber2 is'resiliently supported in itsoutermo'st position by means vof a'spring 7`v which hasU itsupper edge extending 1ongitudinally' "within the Imember 2 and securfedto the'centfral Iportion thereof, said spring projectingfo'r a short distance rearwardly of the member 2`and then beingzdirecteddownwardly at an angle, as shownat 8JI :Then the'springis given' a tuinur coil, as shown "at 9 and'caitended forwardly towardwthe member to which'the upper end ofl'the 'spring is vsecured, as shown at 10,. Thisziastfmentioned end of thel spring is secured uponA the upper face ofthe rim I1, in anyTSuitable manner.

"Loosely lmounted upon the inclined portion S'iofveach spring 7 is a braclet'member 11 which is movable longitudinally of the inclined'portion yof saidspring and has secured therein one end of a spring carrying rod12 which is engaged through the rim 1 and hasthe upper and'lower springs 13'and 14 respectively mounted thereon above and below lthe rim. A bearing collar 15' is mounted upon the `rod 12 and one end of theiup'per 'spring 13 is engaged with this collar-while`t'he opposite end of said spring1 is engaged against lthe outer face of the wheel 'rim"1.' 'A 'collar '16 isinounted upon the free end of the rod 12'and one end of the lowersp'ring lllis` rigidly secured to this collar while the opposite end of said spring is secured to a screw or the like 17 engaged in the lower or inner face of the rim 1. It will be understood that the wheel rim 1 is connected with the hub 18 by means of the spokes 19 in any preferred and well known manner, the principal part of my invention, however, being the construction and ar` rangement of the semi-cylindrical members 2 and the manner in which said members are resiliently mounted upon the rim 1 and connected with one another.

In the second form of my invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown each spring 7 as having its free end extended downwardly and perforated, as shown at 2O to receive a pivot pin 21 engaged therethrough and through the opening 22 formed in the slanting portion 3 of the spring 7 immediately ahead, thereby forming a pivotal connection between the springs ahead. By connecting the springs 7 in this manner, the strain is more equally distributed and inde` pendent longitudinal movement of the spring 7 is prevented. The remaining parts of the wheel, are substantially the same as in the first or preferred form.

In the third form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, I have employed a wire spring 23 which is bent in substantially U-shaped form and given a turn, as shown at 24 to form the loop 25 at its central port-ion, which is bent downwardly, the purpose of which will presently appear. The opposite legs of the spring 23 are also looped along their inclined portions, as shown at 26, the loops 26 being directly opposite one another and having a pivot pin 27 positioned therethrough, which pivot pin is also engaged through the loop 25 of the next spring 23, thereby properly connecting the springs. The legs of each spring 23 are also looped or coiled, as shown at 28 adjacent their free ends to correspond with the coiled portions 9 of the springs employed in the first and second forms of my device, and the ends of the legs are then secured to the rim 1, as shown at 29. The bracket member 11 is engaged over the inclined portions of the opposite legs of the springs 23 and secured in adjusted position longitudinally upon said legs by the set screws 11', as will be clearly understood by referring to the drawings. The coil expansion and shock absorbing springs 13 and 14 are employed and arranged in this form the same as in the previously described forms. This form is especially adapted for wheels to be employed upon light vehicles.

In the fourth form shown in Fig. 6, I have employed a heavy leaf spring 30 having its horizontal portion secured to the semi-cylindrical member 2 in the same manner as in the previous forms and having the downwardly directed ears 31 at its upper free end for receiving the pivot pin 32 passed through the inclined portion of the spring 30 immediately ahead, as described iu the previous forms. The inclined portion of the springs 30 are indicated by the numeral 33 and said springs are bent upon themselves at the lower ends of their inclined portions, as shown at 34 and eX- tended forwardly and secured to the outer face of the rim 1, as shown at 35. In this form I employ eXtra supporting' springs 36 which are secured at their lower ends upon the lower forwardly directed ends of the springs 30 by the fastening means 35 employed for securing these ends to the rim 1. The upper ends of the springs 36 are engaged against the upper ends of the springs 30 and secured to the same and to the semicylindrical members 2, as shown at 37, the inclined portions of the springs 36 being spaced inwardly of the inclined portions of the springs 30. The springs 36 are double at their lower portions, as shown at 38, the extra short spring having its upper end clamped to the long spring by means of the clamping bracket 39 which is secured in position by the clamping or set screws 40. In this case, the bracket member 11 is secured to the inclined 'portion of the long eXtra spring 36 above the upper end of the short eXtra spring and the springs 13 and 14 are mounted upon the pin 12 having one end secured in the bracket 11, as previously described.

In the fifth form shown in Figs. 7 and 8, I have employed the spring 33 constructed in the manner described in the fourth form but composed of heavy material and therefore considerably thicker than in the fourth form. In this last instance, I have dispensed with the use of the eXtra springs 36 and have secured the bracket member 11 to the inclined portion 33 of the spring 30. I have connected the springs 30, however, in the same manner as previously described and the arrangement of the springs 13 and 14 upon the ro-d 12 is the same as in the previous forms.

While I have shown the preferred forms of my device, it will be understood that other changes may be made in the constructlon and arrangement of the various parts of my invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A resilient wheel including an inner rim, a sectional outer rim, a spring for each section and having an inclined portion between the inner and outer rims while the inner end of the spring is bent back upon itself and secured to the inner rim and the outer end of the spring is bent at an angle to the inclined portion thereof and secured to the outer rim section, the bent back port-ion of the spring being inwardly of the adjacent section of the outer rim, a rod adjustably secured to the inclined portion of each spring and extended through the inner rim, and equalizing springs mounted upon each rod and bearing against the inner and outer faces of the inner rim.

2. A resilient wheel including an inner rim, a sectional outer rim, a spring for each section and having an inclined port-ion between the inner and outer rims, the inner end of the spring being bent and secured to the inner rim while the outer end of the spring is bent at an angle to the inclined portion thereof and secured to the outer rim section, a second spring for each section having an inclined portion inwardly of the inclined portion of the irst spring, the inner end of the second spring being bent at an angle and secured upon the inner end of the first spring while the outer end of the second spring is secured against the outer end of the iirst spring, connections between the springs of each section, a rod loosely connected to the inclined portion of each second spring and extended through the inner rim, and equalizing springs mounted upon each rod and bearing against the inner and outer faces of the inner rim.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BOARDMAN.

Witnesses:

FRED E. BERG, C. E. LENNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C." 

